Kaliko
Kaliko is a Nome who lives in the Nome Kingdom, where he was the Chief Steward to his master, the Nome King. Kaliko later become the Nome King himself. Description Kaliko looks much like any other Nome, though as Chief Steward he wore a heavy chain around his neck. He assumed an air of much importance, occasionally even scolding his master. (Ozma of Oz) Sometimes, when the Nome King abused his subjects worse than usual, they would refuse to work until Kaliko begged them to. Kaliko was respected by the Nomes because he was one of themselves, and was as much abused by the King as any of them. (Tik-Tok of Oz) He is a clever and skilled mechanic who successfully reassembled hundreds of pins, cogs, springs, and wheels to repair Tik-Tok the clockwork man after the Nome King had unintentionally destroyed him. ("Tiktok and the Nome King") History Royal Chamberlain Princess Ozma led an expedition from the Land of Oz to the Nome Kingdom to rescue the Royal Family of Ev, whom King Roquat had transformed into purple ornaments. The King toyed with the rescue party, offering them the chance to find the enchanted ornaments in him impossibly large collection. Fortunately, however, Dorothy Gale's pet hen Billina overheard an argument between Kaliko and Roquat, learned the secret, and was able to set the prisoners free. (Ozma of Oz) When Roquat the Red planned to attack the Emerald City to retrieve the Magic Belt Ozma had taken from him, Kaliko advised against it. Roquat was defeated and lost his memory, but he was returned to the Nome Kingdom where he was re-educated and re-named Ruggedo. (The Emerald City of Oz) The Nome King captured and imprisoned a miner from Colorado who happened to be the Shaggy Man's Brother. When the Shaggy Man came to the Nome Kingdom with a rescue party, Kaliko looked through his Magic Spyglass and reported what he saw to the King. Although Kaliko advised against it, Ruggedo decided to drop the intruders down the Hollow Tube. Tititi-Hoochoo sent Shaggy and his comrades back through the tube along with Quox the Dragon, his instrument of vengeance. Quox deprived Ruggedo of his magic powers and exiled him from the kingdom. Then he installed Kaliko as the new Metal Monarch. (Tik-Tok of Oz) King of the Nomes When King Gos and Queen Cor of Regos and Coregos arrived with the King and Queen of Pingaree as prisoners, Kaliko agreed to keep them captive, even though he knew Gos and Cor were lying and that the King and Queen of Pingaree were good people. He felt obligated, as a king, to help the powerful against the weak, although in his heart he was sympathetic to the King and Queen of Pingaree. He refused to make them work so that they would suffer. When Inga, King Rinkitink and Bilbil arrived to recover Inga's parents, he tried using magic to destroy them, but failed because they were protected by magic pearls. Again, he liked the party except for Bilbil, who had headbutted him; but he felt obligated to try and destroy them. He made Inga overcome great trials, which he did. Finally, Princess Dorothy of Oz arrived and scolded him for his actions, and made him give up the King and Queen and promise to cease being wicked. As she carried a basket of eggs, he dared not refuse. (Rinkitink in Oz) Ruggedo later returned to the Nome Kingdom with Peter Brown and conquered Kaliko, again becoming the Nome King by leading Kaliko to believe he had powerful magic. Kaliko took his threats seriously, and so humbly returned to the role of Chamberlain. However, Ruggedo soon left to try and conquer Oz, and when he was defeated, Kaliko again became the Nome King. (The Gnome King of Oz) When Oz was conquered by King Skamperoo of Skampavia in the Land of Ev, Dorothy and Pigasus seek the help of Kaliko. He acts friendly towards them, giving them magical items to help on their quest, but secretly he just wants to be rid of them. He agrees to help them retake Oz but only if she can convince other kings to do the same. He also sets her in the direction of Thunder Mountain, which is where Ozma and the rest are being held. But he believes the travelers will be overcome on the mountain. (The Wishing Horse of Oz) Kaliko later encountered Bucky and Davy Jones, the giant wooden whale, who washed into the Nome Kingdom in an underground waterway that goes through their domain. Kaliko captured them, but, after a brief magical appearance of Number Nine, Bucky was able to conquer Kaliko and become the Nome King himself. They then escaped from the Nome Kingdom. (Lucky Bucky in Oz) Book Appearances * Ozma of Oz (first appearance) * The Emerald City of Oz * Little Wizard Stories of Oz :* "Tiktok and the Nome King" * Tik-Tok of Oz * Rinkitink in Oz * The Hungry Tiger of Oz * The Gnome King of Oz * The Wishing Horse of Oz * Lucky Bucky in Oz In Other Media Lost in Oz Kaliko was a "Shadow Nome", meaning he could teleport through the shadows at will. King Guph sent him to capture West and her mother. (Lost in Oz) Background Kaliko has a brief role in Rinkitink in Oz, where he helps the cruel King Gos and Queen Cor hide the captive rulers of Pingaree from their "wizard" son Prince Inga and his friend King Rinkitink. Kaliko is essentially a good-natured person still, but refuses to surrender the prisoners upon Inga's arrival as he feels himself bound to his promise made to Gos and Cor. However, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz arrive from Oz and force Kaliko to give up the prisoners. Kaliko makes some more appearances in the later Oz books of Ruth Plumly Thompson, where he appears to have changed from a 'good' Nome into a cruel Nome who harbours plans to rule Oz for himself, and adds himself to the list of Princess Ozma's enemies. He, like all other Nomes, is afraid of eggs; and once he becomes king, he is a self-confessed "powerful sorcerer." Category:Oz Book Characters Category:Nomes